4. Cultivating Gratitude and Joy: Letting Go of Scarcity and Fear of the Dark

5. Cultivating Intuition and Trusting Faith: Letting Go of the Need for Certainty

Every Sunday you’ll receive an intention email along with beautiful downloadable definitions and quotes to start the week. On Monday you’ll access the creative exploration video. During the videos we will walk through the art journaling lessons together (along with my sisters and a few of my friends like Ali Edwards, Kelly Rae Roberts, and Karen Walrond). The videos were filmed in my study. Check out a few of the pictures below. When things got stressful we turned to the only viable solution: dancing and singing.

At the end of the week, I’ll share a DIG Deep exercise to help us get Deliberate, Inspired, and Going. This is how we’ll put our creative experiences into a daily practice.

In addition to the emails, videos, and lessons, there will be unique and fun online sharing opportunities so we can connect and share our work. There will also be three real-time chats.

I have to tell you that this is a dream come true for me! This eCourse combines everything thing I love: teaching, community, creativity, and soul work! And, don’t worry if you’re not an “artist.” This is for all of us!

I can’t afford the tuition so did not sign up, but I LOVE the idea for this class, and I hope that everyone that is taking it is getting absolutely TONS of learning and inspiration and insight .

I didn’t have time to comment then, but wanted to come back and comment now.

As I mentioned above, I love this concept and would jump at the opportunity to learn and create with Brene and many of the ladies on this thread – and I think that Oprah is helping people – regardless of what any one may think of her motivation. I am hopeful that we will see this course offered again, and also some of the results on the blog.

Dr. Brown, I re-read pages 65-67. Earlier in the book you quoted Pema Chodron. She says in one of her books that “re-dok” the Tibetan word for hope and fear, “is the root of our pain”. She says about hope and fear that “as long as there is one, there is always the other”, that we should “abandon hope” because it is attached to fear. To contradict her and say we should cultivate it is, daring gr…I won’t. Should we cultivate this re-dok because it makes us achieve more, which makes us more worthy? This contradicts you. Pema Chodron has been meditating for no less than four hours a day, and learning the nature of reality, for 38 years. You could tell me the research backs you up on this, and I would tell you that thousands of years of wisdom back her up. Please consider that you missed something. It might be vital to someone.

Dr. Brown, I want to suggest that you read the Buddhist philososphy on hope and redact your recommendation, in The Gifts of Imperfection, to cultivate it. Hope is a mask for fear and vulnerability. This is a fundamental truth that stands on it’s own. No scientific support needed. Cultivating hope, cultivates lack and poverty. Hoping I will be better is tied to the feeling that I’m not enough now. Hoping I can do something holds on to the possibility that I can’t. Hoping I will get the job I interviewed for, comes from a fear that I’m less qualified than other applicants. Underneath the hope that I will get a call from the guy I like, is the fear that I won’t because I’m not enough for him.

To put one foot in front of the other and let go of the outcome, is to trust that you are enough. To hope, is to fear that you are not.

What an exciting and memorable journey this will be! Much gratitude to Oprah for putting this together and awakening many souls over the years; to Brene, who is sharing her wisdom with us so we can experience wholeheartedness; to Kelly Rae, whose artwork and mantras have inspired me to wake up, and my coach Vanessa, who has been my torch that has guided me along the way. Many blessings.

I just wanted to come here and thank you for your work. I watched your Lifeclasses on OWN and I had so many Ah-Ha moments, that I had to pause it to find a pen and paper to take notes. What you said about perfection inspired me to write “The Struggle of Perfection” which can be found here: http://www.bigdivahq.com/2013/10/the-struggle-of-perfection.html.

Am I mistaken or is this a women only “club.” It has all the appearances of a de facto gender segregated offering which is interesting since much of what men struggle with in our culture is shame-based. I’m sure it isn’t intentional but it does have that appearance.

Let’s breathe It’s so clear that it’s time for this! I am grateful for Brene, and for the vehicle that afforded her this turbo-blast into our awareness. Is it too early to open my sketch book? I look forward to meeting all of you that will be participating. Yipee!

Lots of good exchange, debate and engagement going on here! I haven’t read all the posts (wow, there are so many!) but I do love the idea of a sliding scale for payment as well as the option of donating $5-10 more to support a scholarship fund. It may be too hard to implement these ideas before Oct 20, but seem worth considering next time around. Steady on, brave and peaceful warriors! Xoxox

A quote from an anonymous source comes to mind as I see the judgment above:
The good you find in others is in you too.
The faults you find in others are your faults as well.
After all to recognize something you must know it.
The beauty you see around you is your beauty.
See the best in others and you will be your best.
Give to others and you give to yourself.
Appreciate beauty and you will be beautiful.
Admire creativity and you will be creative.
Love and you will be loved.
Seek to understand and you will be understood.
Listen and your voice will be heard.

I was directed here thru Ali’s site- huge fan of hers and how she documents her, Simon’s and Anna’s lives…… I’ll be honest your books scare me, I read a few pages then put them down, when it gets too real… Well seeing this course has made me decide that its time to get real, its time to let it all out and then let it all in…. Thank you for allowing me to get real.

I am registered and so looking forward to the emotional work. I am a faithartist, and will use your work as a starting point to go deeper in my walk with Jesus. Thanks Brene for sharing your wisdom. I am going to love the art journaling part. I teach people how to take their faith and allow God to guide their hands to create work that brings Him Glory and honor.